PROVENANCE
First Owner, Rome, Italy (acquired new from Motor S.a.s di Carla Allegrettie C. in July 1969)
Steven D. Barney, Rome, Italy (acquired in 1976)
Garret Hanes, Torrance, California (acquired in 1984)
Anthony Podell, Torrance, California (acquired in 1985)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)

THIS CAR
The 365 GTC was the ultimate mechanical development of Ferrari’s luxurious late 1960s road car. Positioned as a refined touring car, the GTC first appeared at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, featuring the same four liter engine first introduced in the 330 GT 2+2. In the smaller and lighter GTC, the engine provided performance dividends, and the new Pininfarina coachwork was exceptionally elegant – combining the prior Ferrari cues of an oval-shaped grille and tapered tail with new features, such as slim pillars and an airy cabin.

Viewed by many enthusiasts as the proper replacement for the beloved 250 GT Lusso, the 330 GTC was made in a limited quantity of 598 examples.

In late 1968, the model was replaced by the improved 365 GTC, which enlarged the long-running Colombo V-12 to a displacement of 4.4 liters. The new Tipo 245/C engine would be among the final Ferrari V-12s to feature single overhead camshafts.

The 365 GTC’s most notable physical difference from its predecessor was the relocation of the front cooling vents from the fenders to the hood. Far rarer than the 330 GTC, the 365 was made in an even more exclusive supply of just 150 examples.

The 365 GTC offered here, chassis 12415, was completed at the Ferrari factory on June 16, 1969. Originally finished in Marrone Colorado with black leather upholstery, the Ferrari was delivered to dealer Motor S.a.s. di Carla Allegretti e C. in Rome and sold to its first owner, who kept it until 1976. At that time, the 365 GTC was sold to Stephen D. Barney, proprietor of Foreign Cars Italia Inc., who shipped it to the US in 1983 and had the coachwork refinished in red.

Garret Hanes, a restorer, purchased the 365 GTC in early 1984 and kept it until November 1985. It was then sold to well-known Southern California collector Anthony W. Podell, who registered it on license plates reading “365 GTC 2.”

Throughout Mr. Podell’s ownership, the GTC was fastidiously maintained, and numerous bills document carburetor overhauls, a radiator repair, and the installation of a restored Becker Europa II stereo. Mr. Podell also overhauled the suspension, brakes, and steering; fitted new Michelin XWX tires; and replated the bumpers. A comprehensive file of records tracks the work carried out from 2003 through 2013 and includes a history report compiled by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini. Also accompanying the sale is the Ferrari Classiche Red Book, which confirms 12415 as retaining its original, matching-numbers engine.

The 365 GTC is an ideal Ferrari for the collector with an awareness of quality and exclusivity. They are rarely seen, yet completely unmistakable. Notable owners of the model include guitarist Eric Clapton, who first saw one when George Harrison brought it to his house.

Clapton discussed the experience with fellow Ferraristi, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason for a story Mr. Mason wrote for Ferrari Magazine.

“My mate George Harrison came around to my house, Hurtwood Edge. He was a man with a great sense of style and aesthetics, and until then he’d been buying Mercedes Pullmans. Then he pulled up in this sports car. I’d never seen one in the flesh. It was a Ferrari 365 GTC. Dark blue with a tan interior. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”

At that time, Clapton couldn’t drive a stick shift, but Harrison left the car with him, and he taught himself to drive it. It sparked his enthusiasm and he would later order his own GTC.

Any car that can seduce you when you can’t even drive it surely wins a place in a true collector’s heart. This expertly maintained Ferrari 365 GTC, one of just 150 examples built, will be highly desirable to collectors who prize style and luxury.